I have been on holidays these past 2 weeks and dear gawd did I need this break (at least from one of my jobs). Since Tuesday I've been pretty much stuck at home during the day which I welcomed, because it meant getting lots of things done I have been putting off - including several tasks involving organzing something or other. Yesterday, after walking to the post office to pick up some hot boots, it was time to organize the bookshelves in my bedroom. I really don't like having all this book storage in my bedroom (to me it's like bad feng shui - too much visual stimulation for a room that's supposed to give me tranquility), but it was the only free wall in my tiny house that could house my magazine collection and some books. I threw some of the older magazines out because holy smokes I have far too many, and made the piles neat again. Once the contents were organized (and shrunk down a bit) I went out to the storage shed and dug out some apple baskets and a couple wooden crates I had purchased some time ago at an antique shop out in the boonies. I am a FREAK for rustic/industrial storage options, and these, along with my vintage metal locker baskets, helped in the wrangling of my crap. I'm a happy camper now, and I think I can sleep a little better tonight knowing it's not a disaster. (P.S. Before the hubby moved in, the shelves looked like this, and after when I de-feminized the space, the room looked more like this).

A big thanks to Åsa for sending us the link to this INSANE flat for sale in Helsingborg, southern Sweden. This is so atypical of what Swedes do to their homes. We all know they LOVE white...and there is not one spec of white in this apartment (with the exception of the tub and toilet). It must take special people to come up with this, and be able to live here day after day. I sure as hell could not. I would lose my freaking mind. It's just so bizarre. Good luck selling this place!

You have seen snippets of it before. Admired it in magazines. It is littered through the portfolios of leading photographers. It's a confection of girliness, a collection of the beautiful and the kitsch, covetable to the max, contagious in its quirkiness and a compilation of inspiring rooms. It's the home of stylist Marianne Cotterill. It's Mapesbury Road, London. Photography by Oliver Perrott.

Brendan of interior design firm Kwinter & Co. (previously featured here) emailed about one of her design projects that included 2 very large dogs - Bernese Mountain dogs which happens to be one of my favourite breeds. It is the Toronto townhouse of Dr. Stephanie Bot, a psychoanalyst, which explains the Freud bust that resides next to the bed. :) Brendan explained: This project was all about the dogs and how to furnish it in a way that worked for them. I used colors that were close to theirs so that when they shed it doesn't show up so much. Many of the materials were dog friendly. Having 7 cats, I totally understand the need to consider animals when decorating and most importantly, when purchasing furniture. I hope the dark floors hide the black fur!

I am still crushing hard for Toronto photographer Michael Graydon (I showed my devotion to his work here). His photos are scattered all over just about every Canadian shelter magazine around, and they are simply magical. He makes me want to be a part of each room he has captured....especially the ones below.